Score-card.



' No. 844,807. I PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

P. H. KEEFE.

SCORE CARD.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZI. 1906.

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PATRICK H. KEEFE, OF SHARPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SCORE-CARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed July 21,1906. Serial No. 327,178.

To (all 10/1/0771 11!; may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK H. Knnrn, a resident of Sharpsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Score-Cards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to scorecards, and has special reference to such cards for th scoring of base-ball games.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and ellicient form 01 a scorecard whereby all of the ditl'crent lays in a base-ball game can be easily, quic (1y, accu rately, and completely kept at all times and throughout the game by a child orany unskilled person.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of spaces, &c., as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

T 0 enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improved score-card, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan or face view of one side of my improved score-card, showing a portion of the same printed and ready for complete marking or checking of the game. Figs 2, 3, and 1 are detail views showing portions of the same.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

As illustrated in the drawings, Fig. l'shows one side of my improved score-card, there being two of such sides used in a base-ball game, one for each team, and within the printed square 1, forming such side, is a series of heavy vertical lines 2 and a series of heavy horizontal lines 3 for forming a series of main blocks or spacrs 4, having the numerals 1, 2, 3, &c., above the upper row thereof for indicating the innings to be played or played, with the name of the club for such side above the same. At one end of the side or square 1 and extending along the end blocks 4 are the vertical lines 5 for .lorming the three vertical spaces or columns 6, having the letters R, H, and E at the upper ends of the same for indicating runs, hits, and errors. The other end of the side. or square 1 has a vertical line 7 beyond the end blocks 4 and with the horizontal lines 3 forms a series of vertical blocks or spaces 8, while beyond said blocks 8 and within said side 1 are the blocks or spaces 9, which are formed by the lines 2 and 3, each of which is adapted to contain the name of a player of the team and can be also designated by his title, such as for catcher, P for pitcher, and so on.

\Vithin each of the blocks 1 is a center block or space 10, which is for recording hits, and such block is divided by a vertical and a horizontal line to form the four blocks or spaces 1.1, having within each 01" the same one of the numerals 1, 2, 3, 1. The upper part of each of the blocks 4 is divided into a series of nine smaller blocks or spaces 12 by the vertical lines 13 and horizontal lines 1 1, and the lines 14 extend across the blocks 8 for dividing said blocks 8 into smaller blocks or spaces 15, having withinthesame one of the letters R, H, E, indicating runs, hits, and errors for each individual player and also a below each 01 said letters. The upper part of each 01" said small blocks 12 contains the title of each player, as 3B, 113, &c., for indicating the third baseman, first baseman, and so on, as well as the letter E for indicating error, and below said blocks 12 and center block 10 in each of the blocks 4 are the blocks or spaces 16, which contain the letters BB, SO, SH, &c., as well as a after each of said charac tcrs for designating plays such as a' base on balls, struck out, sacrifice hit, and so on.

Below the lower line of blocks 4 are a se ries of horizontal blocks or spaces 17, which are formed by the lower horizontal line 3 and a like line 18, and extending across each of these blocks 17 is a diagonal line 19 for forming the smaller triangular blocks or spaces 20, in one of which is the letter R for indicating runs and in the other is the letter H for indicating hits. At one end of the side 1 and within the end block 17 is the word Total for indicating during the innings and game the total runs and hits in the triangular blocks 20 of the blocks 17.

Below the blocks 17 are the series of blocks or spaces 21, which are formed by the horizontal line 18 and the lower like line 3 of the side 1, and within each of these blocks 21 are the two horizontal and spaced lines 22 and a series of marks or dots 23 under the lowermost line 22. The dots 23 within each block 21 are nine in number, and under each dotis a letter, letters, or numeral, such as C, LF, 3, &c., for indicating the title of each player of the team, as the catcher, left-fielder, third baseman, and so on, While at the end of the side 1 opposite the end block 21 and under the block 17, containing the word Total, is a block or space 24, containing the words Double and triple plays.

The use and manner of working my improved score-card is as follows: The game of base-ball being played in the usual way, the diflerent plays are marked or scored for each player and for each inning as it is played in the blocks 4 and in a horizontal course across the side or square 1. In the lower part of the blocks 4 each play, such as a base on balls, is indicated by a on the line after BB, and plays such as strike-out can be indicated in like manner in such part of said block, as well as sacrifice hits and such other plays in which the batter is liable to participate. The center block 10 in each block 4 is where the hits of the batter or batsman are recorded, and if a batter makes a one, two, three, or four bagger or base hit it is indicated simply by a period or dot within the correspondingly-numbered space 11 in block 10, which therefore shows the kind of hit or hits the batter has made during his turn at bat, such as single, double, three base hit, or home run. The letter E in the lower corner of the spaces in the upper part of the blocks 4 and under the title of each player in the game is for errors to be checked in a like manner, which indicates if the batter gets his base on an error by one of the opposing players. When a play is made on the batter, such as a drive to third base, and the third baseman throws the batter out at first, the play is recorded simply by checking in the upper corner of space marked 313 by a dash or check and a dot, as shown in Fig. 2, and in the same corner of the space marked 1B by a dash or check only, as shown in Fig. 3, which shows that the batter was put out and that the play was made from third base to first base. All plays are checked where shown on the side or square 1 of the card, and the double and triple plays are recorded in the block 21 for each inning in the following manner: If a play is made from short-stop to second baseman and from second baseman to first baseman and then from first baseman to the catcher for completing a triple play, you simplydraw a line in said block from S to 2 and from 2 to 1 and then from 1 to C, as shown in Fig. 4. Double plays can be made in the same manner, and the lower line will describe the beginning of the play and the upper line the completion of it in both these cases- It will be evident that the blocks 16 in the blocks 4 will record also such plays as hit by pitcher, stolen bases, fiy-out, and runs by the letters HP, SB, F0, and Runs, respectively, and each of these characters has a after the same for the use of the checking-mark thereon, while the number of runs, hits, and errors made during a game can be recorded in the blocks or spaces 6 in the columns 6 under the letters R, H, and E, respectively. The runs and hits for each inning can be recorded in the blocks 20, as noted, respectively, by the letters R and H, and, if necessary or desired, the number of double or triple plays can be noted in the block to the right of the block marked with the words Double and triple plays.

It will thus be seen that my improved scorecard provides for a scientific method of keeping a correct record of every play made during a game. There is no confusion to the party keeping score, as in locating a player by number, as each player is designated by his title or abbreviation, so that after a play has been made a glance at your score-card gives you the eXact location of each player, and then you simply check the play by a stroke of the pencil. Double and triple plays are accurately recorded at the bottom of each column for the inning, so that when they are made their place can readily be -lound for checking, and they are always readily located on the card when made and so marked.

Various modifications and changes in the design and arrangement of my improved score-card may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A base-ball score-card divided into nine or more rows or columns, each of which represents an inning, and is subdivided into nine main blocks, one for each player, with proper subdivisions, and in said subdivisions a sufficient number of letters or characters for each play and errors.

2. A base-ball score-card divided into nine or more rows or columns, each of which represents an inning, and is subdivided into nine IIO main blocks, one for each player, with proper subdivisions, and in said subdivisions a sufficient number of letters or characters for each play and errors, and subdivisions adjacent to the main blocks having a suflicient number of letters or characters for indicat ing the total of plays and errors in the main squares.

3. A base-ball score-card divided into nine or more rows or columns, each of which represents an inning, and is subdivided into nine main blocks, one for each player, with proper subdivisions, and in said subdivisions a sufiicient number of letters or characters for each play and errors, and subdivisions having a play and errors, and subdivisions having a [O sullicient number of letters and characters for sullicient number of letters and characters the total of plays in each inning. for the double and triple plays.

4. A base-ball score-card divided into nine In testimony whereof I, the said PATRICK or more rows or columns each of Which 'rep- H. KEEFE, have hereunto set my hand.

resents an inning, and is subdivided into nine PATRICK H. KEEFE. main blocks, one for each player, with proper WVitnesses: subdivisions, and 111 said subdivisions a sul'l'i- J. N. COOKE,

cient number of letters or characters for each 7 M. R. MCCOMMON. 

